Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Mudragada Padmanabham Passes Away, Jagan Mohan Reddy Expresses Condolences

Amaravati, July 15: Former Andhra Pradesh minister and YSR Congress Party leader Mudragada Padmanabham passed away on Tuesday. He was 73 years old.

A prominent leader of the Kapu community and former MP, he died in a private hospital in Hyderabad on Tuesday evening. Born on January 22, 1953, in the undivided East Godavari district of Kirlampudi, he entered active politics in 1977 and was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Prathipadu on a Janata Party ticket in 1978.

Mudragada joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) when actor-turned-politician N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) founded it in 1982. He was elected as an MLA in 1983, 1985, and 1989, serving as a minister in NTR’s cabinet from 1985 to 1988.

Later, he resigned from the ministerial position and left the TDP to form the Praja Raksha Committee. He also established the Telugu Nadu Party. After rejoining the TDP, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kakinada in 1999.

Mudragada led the movement for reservation for the Kapu community and even undertook a hunger strike demanding backward class status for them. He joined the YSR Congress Party ahead of the 2024 elections.

Leaders from all parties in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana expressed their condolences over Mudragada’s passing. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan extended their sympathies.

Pawan Kalyan noted that Mudragada represented the people in the Assembly four times after being first elected in 1978 and was elected to the Lok Sabha once from the Kakinada constituency.

Former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the sudden demise of senior leader Mudragada Padmanabham. Speaking to his son Giribabu over the phone, Jagan conveyed his heartfelt condolences, stating that he was deeply saddened by the news of Mudragada’s passing. He urged Giribabu and the grieving family to stay strong during this difficult time.

Jagan remarked that Mudragada Padmanabham’s dedicated service to the people would always be remembered, and his contributions would leave a lasting legacy. He prayed for the peace of the departed soul and expressed his profound condolences to the bereaved family during this time of sorrow.